Teen Idol Bobby Sherman Dead at 81

Bobby Sherman — a musician who rose to fame as a teen heartthrob back in the 1960s — has died … TMZ has confirmed.

A longtime friend of Bobby tells TMZ he passed away Tuesday morning from stage 4 cancer at his home in Encino, L.A.

Bobby’s wife, Brigitte Poublon Sherman and friend John Stamos paid a joint IG tribute to him … calling him “brave, gentle, and full of light” even in his final days, and also thanked fans for acknowledging his legacy.

Bobby released his first songs — a couple of singles — in 1962 when he was just 19 years old … to moderate success over the next decade.

In 1969, Sherman dropped the biggest hit of his career … the song “Little Woman” on his self-titled 1969 album — his first gold record.

In total, Bobby released seven gold singles, a platinum single and five gold records during a career that ran mostly from 1962 to 1976 … with Bobby not releasing much afterward. He did make a career comeback in the late 1990s, and officially retired in 2001.

Sherman took on jobs in public service in subsequent decades … working as a paramedic and instructing police officers in first-aid classes. He also worked as a reserve deputy sheriff in San Bernardino County.

Sherman was a regular at big events despite retreating from the public spotlight in the last couple decades of the 20th century … and later appearing at the 2001 Academy Awards.

Bobby is survived by his two sons, Tyler and Christopher, and six beautiful grandchildren. He was 81.